Astra Inclinant
by Yo Adrian
Summary: Every me will find every you. Luke, Leia, Various AU's.
1. Chapter 1

summary:

Leia doesn't know Luke well, but he is easy to talk to and feels familiar. And she wonders if he feels the same way. Leia Whitesun and Luke Starkiller.

_1/?_

The sun was barely visible behind the Coruscant skyline, but the thin dawn light had already spread across the sky. Leia pressed her forehead against the mirror in the fresher, exhaustion visible in the bruises beneath her eyes. Stiffly, she braided her hair, nothing elaborate today, just a simple plait. Her fingers were dull and tingling, she must've slept on them funny last night. Deciding her tiny padawan braid was too complicated for this early in the morning, she left a bit of hair behind her ear.

Of course, Master Unduli left her room in a practiced calm, with the energy all Jedi seemed to have so early in the morning. Sitting on one of the meditation mats, her master raised a brow when she saw Leia's unkempt state.  
She waved her hand and Leia sat at her feet. "You stay up too late," Luminara deftly finished off her padawan's braid by tying a red string around the end.

"Sorry Master," Leia yawned.

"You have been dreaming again," her master prompted gently.

Leia did not reply and remained very still._ —The cell was dark and cold and she feels sick, but she doesn't dare feel scared. Billions of people scream inside her head and then silence and she's being torn into as many pieces. 'I'm here to rescue you!' a boy grabs her hand, and it's Luke Starkiller, but not Starkiller, and she's Leia, but not Leia —_

Her face was hard when she replied, "My dreams haven't troubled me in some time, Master."

Luminara chuckled softly and smoothed the tunic across her shoulders, "Go to breakfast then, Leia."

But her master is not convinced.

.

Sweat dripped down her brow and her breath was heavy. She parries before quickly lunging forward while her opponent regained his footing. The blood rushes in her ears as she halts before piercing his chest, in a swift motion she could cut him in half. But the exercise is over and she retracts her blade into its hilt.

She and her partner both straighten and bow to each other. They are panting and drenched and both of them are grinning like idiots.

"You got lucky," Luke tells her. But his eyes are glowing and his smile is bright and dazzling.

She laughs. She does not know Luke well, but he is easy to talk to and she feels drawn to him, familiar with him. And she wonders if he feels the same way… She shakes her head, a Jedi does not seek attachment.

"Very good Leia," Master Kenobi said, "I must commend Master Unduli on your technique, however your grip is too tight. Loosening it will allow for greater flexibility."

Leia nodded. Feeling defensive about Luminara's training, she bit back a cool response. Luke caught her eye and shrugged.

"You're both truly exceptional. I was a bit of a prodigy myself back in the day, wasn't I Master?" the voice startled Leia.

A Jedi walked up to Kenobi, however his attention was only for the two of them. Leia straightened when she recognized Master Skywalker. All the padawans think highly of Master Skywalker. He's the Chosen One, the Hero With No Fear, the man who slew Palpatine and saved the Order. Leia finds it very hard to picture Master Skywalker slaying anybody, his face is far too kind, but then there is something, deep in his eyes that scares her just a bit and she doesn't doubt that he could do horrible things. He blinks, maybe she imagined it.

"Thank you Anakin," Kenobi gave him a pointed glance and rested a hand on his former apprentices shoulder, "Could you please join me in the hall?"

Skywalker smiled down at them again. Leia felt a pull in her stomach and wanted to reach out to him.

.

"This is ridiculous," a senator says and everyone in the Chancellors office snaps their heads to her, "I do not need extra security for simple negotiations."

Chancellor Organa looks tired and he gives the senator a weak smile, "This has not been the first time you have been conspired against, Amidala, but your safety is a priority and if your security team feels that you are in danger, we must take all the steps necessary to protect you."  
The senator crosses her arms and looks challengingly at the Jedi in the office.

"Senator Amidala," Captain Typho has a practiced tone in his voice, he has dealt with this often, "The Outer Rim has made it well known that you are barely welcome, extra security will be needed. The Jedi are willing to send a protector to work with us."

A smile tugs at Amidala's lips, as though she is sharing a private joke. The senator finally nods, "Who has been put forward at my protector?"

Leia takes a deep breath and steps out from behind Master Luminara and Master Windu. Senator Amidala's eyes widen and a funny expression crosses her face, her emotions become hard to sense.

Leia walks over to her and bows, "I am at your service, Milady."

.

Her hair curls around her ears, her braids freshly chopped off and lying in a thick rope by her knees.

"Rise, Knight Whitesun," Master Yoda commands.

Leia can see the pride in Luminara's eyes from the glow of the ring of lightsabers. She is a touch surprised when she turns to exit the room behind  
Yoda and sees Master Skywalker's eyes shining as well.

.

Three months later, she holds his flesh hand during a relief mission gone horribly horribly wrong.

He looks up at her, his eyes blue are shining and his metallic hand reaches up to cup her cheek, before dropping back down to his blood soaked chest.

"Tell your brother," he wheezes, and she can barely hear his last words, "—Love you."

And then the light in his eyes fades away and she feels distraught and confused and she turns to Artoo, "Patch a message through to Coruscant, Master Skywalker is dead, we need backup!"

There is no death, there is only the Force, but she looks into Master Skywalker's dull blue eyes and sobs.

.

There are deep lines around her eyes now, creases by her mouth, and her hair is mostly grey. She's old now, revered within the Order.

"Do you remember your mother?" Luke asks her, sitting in his Council seat, his fingers steepled beneath his chin.

The Council's chamber is empty except for them and she's standing by the viewport looking out over the Coruscant skyline and the sun dipping beneath the towers. Leia turns to look at him.

"I think I did when I was younger, but no, not now."

Luke doesn't answer for a long time.

"They ruined us, you know," he finally says, "The Order, it ruined all of us."

Leia is startled by his forwardness and wants to snap at him, but she remembers being eleven and the years of nightmares after she had returned to Coruscant with another's blood in her hair and on her robes. She remembers being twenty and the mothers sobbing when the Jedi came for their children.

"Then why are we still here?"

He shrugs.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like without the Order?"

"No," says Leia, because in the end, there's never been anything but the Jedi, they're all she has.

* * *

published 8/27/14. Edited 11/16/14.


	2. Chapter 2

summary: The Droids don't make it to Tatooine.

_2/?_

"Artoo! Artoo-Detoo where are you?" Threepio fussed.

The golden protocol droid startled Leia, who looked up expecting the worst. Her heart drummed as she finished her message in the little astromech's computer banks. Her hands shook and her throat was dry, but she refused to be afraid.

"At last!" exclaimed to protocol droid and Leia had half a mind to shut him down before he blew her location, "Where have you been?"

She could hear the Stormtroopers approaching and gasped, ducking into a nook. But the droids weren't quick enough and as the Stormtroopers poured into the room, Threepio began to panic. "We'll be sent to spice mines of Kessel or smashed into who knows what!" he fretted. Leia kept very still and held her breath.

"Shut both of them down," one of the Stormtroopers ordered, "Take them to the ship to be taken apart."

"Oh heavens!" cried the protocol droid.

The blood boiled in Leia's ears and she felt a pull in her stomach. Her eyes flickering with anger, she burst out of the nook and rounded on the squad of troopers. A blaster clasped in her hands.

"Set for stun!" There was a blast and Leia hit the floor.

"She'll be all right," the shooter bent down to examine her, "Inform Lord Vader we have a prisoner. And shut those droids off, now!"  
.

"That R2 unit we bought is useless," Luke sighed at dinner.

"What makes you say that?" frowned Uncle Owen, "I paid good money for that droid."

"It's got a bad motivator, I'll figure it out later."

"You better, I want it and you working on the condensers by tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Luke scowled at his plate. A flash of defiance sparked in his eye, and he turned to his uncle, but it flickered away and he didn't speak for the rest of the meal. Aunt Beru gave Owen a look that he pointedly ignored.  
.

_— His heart was racing. He ran faster and faster until colors blurred together and the ground began to collapse behind him. 'Luke!' a girl screamed, reaching out to him. But she kept falling farther and farther. 'Luke please!' 'I can't', he sobbed and everything was crumbling away—_

Luke sat up up in his bed, his stomach churned and he felt ill. Resting his head back down on the pillows he took a deep breath, he'd been having these strange dreams for days now, since the news of Alderaan had reached Tatooine. He dreamt of the girl often, sometimes pleading, sometimes fighting, but always far far away from him.

Luke groaned and rolled over, unable to go back to sleep. The image of the girl burned in his mind. She was beautiful and in trouble, but she wasn't real. She seemed real though, he thought, there was something alive in her eyes and the way his heart thumped when he saw her. He loved her— no not love, something more than that, more powerful— Owen had dismissed it when he had first told him about the dreams. Not that he had expected his uncle to be understanding, everything he did was straightforward and blunt, he had no time for silly dreams. Uncle Owen tried, Luke knew he did, but often times when something strange like this happened, Luke wished his father were around to listen and give advice.

Sighing and deciding sleep would be impossible, Luke crept out of his room for a glass of blue milk. He froze outside his aunt and uncles room when he heard hushed voices floating out under the door.

"You don't think Leia was-" Aunt Beru said, her voice was wet. Luke didn't know anyone on Tatooine with a name like that, and his curiosity was piqued.

"No, no," Uncle Owen replied gruffly, "Kenobi would've told us. The old wizard would know."

Kenobi? Old Ben? Luke's brows drew together in confusion, the strange hermit never left his house.

Beru began to cry and Luke slipped back to his room, blue milk forgotten.  
.

Leia sat stiffly in her cell on the Death Star. She felt like crying, but she wouldn't. She had had no tears for Alderaan and she didn't have any tears for herself.

_Execution_. She gave a dry laugh, but felt very cold inside and a little bit ill, she would be executed in half an hour. Death wasn't something to fear, her father had taught her, but then her planet had been destroyed and he along with it and she hadn't even mustered enough decency to cry about it. She was too proud to let them see how broken she was.

Leia snorted, she was being killed as an example Tarkin told her. As if that would make people forget how cruel the Empire was and the Rebellion would suddenly disappear. That nasty, vile man, she had hated him since she was a little girl, more than she hated Vader sometimes.

Leia took a deep breath. 15 minutes. She found herself thinking about those dreams. Always falling and there was always a boy— Luke, her voice was hoarse from screaming to him— she knew he would save her, but he always too far away. He didn't have much time left, she smirked.

She blinked when the door slid open and Darth Vader walked in, a group of Stormtroopers behind him. "Princess," was all he said, but she recognized the command. Her legs felt sore from sitting for so long as she followed him out of the cell.

She kept her back straight and her head high and she was not afraid.  
.

It was impossibly hot the next morning. The desert had turned into a furnace and Luke was soaked with sweat before noon. Aunt Beru had forbidden him and Uncle Owen from going back to work when they had come in for lunch, so he holed himself up in the garage to work on his sky hopper.

But it was too hot, too hot and sweat still dripped into his eyes, so he just sat and leaned his head back against the air fresher. Luke signed, his head had been pulsing since last night and his stomach still churned. He wanted to throw up.

It was the heat, just the heat.

* * *

published 9/6/14. Edited 11/16/14.


	3. Chapter 3

summary: Emperor Vader and his heirs. And Tress.

a/n: Imperial Skywalker Family is probably my favorite AU.

_3/?_

The reception was enormous. Red banners hung from the high ceiling, branded with the symbol of the Empire, and under them, the hundreds of guests mingled. Their drunken noise nearly drowned out the music. Ambassadors showcased the finest of their planets dress, high-ranking politicians were covered head to toe in splendor, and military officials happily pinned on their shining medals for the event. Underdressing for the Emperor was never an option.

The man himself was sitting stone-faced on his throne at the end of the hall. His hair had gotten long since his last campaign in the Outer Rim and fell over his shoulder loosely. The Emperor seemed determined to not move an inch the entire party and only nodded his head at those seeking audience with him.

Tress stood proudly beside her father, her embroidered robe was far grander than the one she had worn to her own coming out last month and her hair had taken nearly two hours to be coiffed and coiled properly by her nurse. She was, altogether, giddy that she was surrounded by the elite of the Empire and terribly worried to move out of fear that she would ruin the effort that had gone into her appearance for tonight.

"And this is my daughter, Tress."

She looked up at the man her father was greeting, Alderaani from the look of his pristine white robe. He was nearly a head taller than her father and darkly colored.

"Tress," —she looked back at her father— "This is the senator from Alderaan, Bail Organa. He is a good friend of mine, my dear."

Tress smiled up at the Senator, pleased that she had correctly guessed his origin, and bowed.

"You are as beautiful as your father described," Organa said.

"I am pleased you find me so, Senator," she replied.

Organa chuckled, "Charming too, I see, and tell me, do you intend to follow your father into the senate?"

"I would be a happy servant to the Empire," Tress said.

"I see."

The conversation did not continue for a hush had fallen over the guests that marked the entrance of the heirs of the Empire.

Their Imperial Highnesses were dressed plainly compared to their guests, their only decorations were golden circlets around their heads. They seemed to be a single being as they walked carefully through the parted crowd towards their father. Tress watched them curiously, they were not much younger than her after all.

The Prince and Princess bowed before their father. For the first time that evening, the Emperor was attentive and rose from his throne to greet them. Tress felt as though she were witnessing something very personal as the Imperial family interacted, they even took the time to embrace each other. Once the family parted the music began again and the trance was broken.

"It is very important that the Imperial family appears happy," Organa said softly to her.

"You do not think they love each other?" Tress asked, surprised that the senator was bold enough to say so, given the company.

Organa stared pensively into the glass of wine he was holding, "I have no doubt that the Emperor loves his children."

.

.

Luke thought he had few similarities to his father (and most of _those _were superficial), but they shared a dislike of parties. He could sense his fathers distaste of the crowd and he had confined himself to his throne. Luke's discomfort came more out of shyness than spite, but he loyally followed Leia across the floor. Oppositely, his twin enjoyed engaging guests in political discussions, though she frequently became frustrated by the sycophantic turns her talks invariably took.

Now, Leia stood at the center of a group of senators. They were listening attentively to what she was saying and nodding their agreements, but her cunning eyes were trying to root out their falseness. Luke hovered nearby, he did not like to be far from his twin, unless it was necessary. She held a similar sentiment and both of them would become distressed if they were separated for very long. They had been each others only companion for most of their life and their bond was believed to be far stronger than any previously conceived through the Force.

Luke sensed Leia's growing irritation and caught her eye. His sister quickly slipped away from her companions while they were busy complimenting themselves, he caught her arm and together slipped behind a column in a dark corner of the hall.

He sighed and leaned against the column. "I can't stand the crowds," he confided, "I wish I could be like Father and just ignore everyone."

"You could, but then it would just be me out there and we would both be miserable."

Leia walked over to him and straightened his collar. Luke studied her face, there was a crease across her forehead and he could feel a hint of her confusion. Whatever it was, she was doing a very good job at concealing it from him.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" Luke asked, "Or do you want me to guess?"

She scowled and bit her lip. "I haven't figured it out yet."

He gave her an inquisitive look.

"Luke, something's going to happen," she said seriously, "Something bad."

Leia looked distressed and her fingers tightened around his collar as if she were afraid that if she let him go, the planet would crumble beneath them. Luke frowned and brought his hands up to curl around hers and detach them from his clothes. He held her fingers gently between them.

.

.

Tress shimmied her way through the crowd. An hour ago, she had been worried to ruin the costume her nurse had spent hours on, but the dance floor had called to her and now her collar was lined with sweat and her bangs were plastered to her forehead. And it was stiflingly hot in this damn hall.

Her father was watching her carefully, he had been since she left his side at the invitation of a young aide to Senator So-and-So. She looked back at him, standing a few meters away and in what appeared to be a deep discussion with Senator Mothma —both looked very grim— , but his eyes would flicker her way every so often.

Tress turned back into the crowd.

The aide was struggling between two fat wives behind her, she giggled and darted away, finally coming to the edge of the hall. Tress leaned against the cool, marble wall and waited for the aide to catch up.

When he emerged from the crowd, the aide darted towards her and pinned both hands on either side of his head. Tress smiled coyly and ducked under his arms and slid farther down the wall.

The aide laughed and followed her. He finally managed to catch her when his arms darted out from behind a column and circled her waist. She giggled again when he spun her around and held her firmly. He bent down and her head tipped back, eyes sliding closed and—

_Ahem. _

The princess had one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed over her chest. Her brother was sheepishly picking at his sleeve.

The aide nearly threw Tress away from him and slipped back into the crowd, leaving her on her own.

"He seemed slimy, didn't you think so?" the princess said, she observed the aide's head bob between the guests.

"Uh," Tress said dumbly, too mortified to respond properly.

"I see." The heirs shared a look and something flickered between their golden eyes. The princess turned back to Tress, a smirk on her coral lips, "You'll be our companion for the rest of the night won't you?"

"Seeing as your previous company… left," the prince explained.

Tress's heart pounded as she bowed, "I'd be honored, Your Highness."

"Just Luke-" "-and Leia"

Together, the twins said, "Please."

The effect was bizarre, Tress suspected they did it on purpose.

.

.

Leia steered the girl— Tress— through the crowd. She was a senator's daughter from some backwater Mid-Rim planet, she had a handsome face, but her mind was a bit doughy and her thoughts were rather boring, she lacked depth. Most likely, she had been sent to Coruscant with her father to find a husband, her family would have realized her lack of potential in the political arena years ago.

But, she could almost _see_ the Force on Tress, golden lines that Leia's family was forced to walk wrapped around her. Tress would not be the cause of Leia's distress, but she was a factor. Leia and Luke would have to keep an eye on her.

And she would have to alert their father.

As the trio approached the Emperor, her father shifted in his throne and watched them curiously. A small smile played on his lips and Leia could feel his presence brush against her mind, an affectionate gesture he had exhibited since they were very small, and untrained in the Force. An affirmation of his love. His forehead creased when he sensed Leia's concern.

"Father, this is our friend Lady Tress."

Tress's heart rate had been steadily increasing since she had learned she would directly meet the Emperor. She might pass out soon, or have a heart attack, depending. But the girl bowed in the practiced fashion most middle class politicians exhibited, and projected a very calm manner. Leia was mildly impressed.

The Emperor appraised the girl with golden eyes he shared with his children (they weren't always that color, Leia thinks, sometimes she remembers blue). The smile on his lips did reach his cold eyes when he looked at Tress.

"You are Senator S'mi's daughter," the Emperor said.

"Yes, my lord."

He chuckled, "He is a friend of Senator Organa. They are quite the pair."

"Yes, they spend much time together."

"I see."

Pause. Leia can see the pieces fall together in her father's eyes. Some plot her father recognizes, the one she had foreseen.

"Do you love your father?"

Tress seemed taken aback by the Emperor's question, but she nodded, "Of course."

"The garden is nice at night," he said and rested his chin on his palm, "Don't you think Leia? Luke?"

"Yes Father," Luke agreed, he had also seen everything click in their father's mind.

Leia turned to her brother and clasped his hand tightly. She could not reach out to her father, or risk their enemies see the finality of their meeting. Instead, her eyes glistened with tears that she would not shed and she felt his presence brush against her mind to comfort her.

Tress stood forgotten between them.

.

.

The gardens were indeed lovely. Tress did not realize this much flora existed on Coruscant, amongst the coldness of the durasteel towers. Luke and Leia had lead her out of the reception and into a maze of dark halls before they reached the greenhouses. They were a building away from the reception, but still within the walls of the Imperial Palace. The light from the party was visible from where Tress was standing.

The twins had been silent and now sat on a bench, their posture was stiff and uninviting. Tress did her best to ignore it and focused on the large flowering bushes around them.

"What is your mother like, Tress?" it was Luke who spoke to her.

Tress turned to look at the young prince. He was sat in a brooding position that mimicked the Emperor, he looked very young in this moment. Tress smiled.

"She wants the best for me," she said, "She wants me to rise above our family."

"That's all you have to say about your own mother?" Leia spat.

Her eyes flashed, ready to pounce, and Tress recoiled.

"Leia," Luke warned.

"I barely know her," Tress said hoarsely, "She's too busy planning my future to pay much attention to my present, you know?"

"No," Leia's voice is distant.

There is a wary tension among them. Tress does not speak again and neither do the twins. She watches them from the corner of her eye and jealousy brewed, they had no mother, but they had each other for company. Tress is thankful for her father. Something she has in common with the prince and princess she supposes.

The stone beneath them shook. Leia's eyes slid shut and Luke exhaled a shaking breath.

Tress's stomach quaked when she sees the smoke from the reception.

.

.

The Outer Rim had blinded him, Vader thought, pinned to the ground by rubble. He had felt the danger, slow and creeping, but it had been unclear and he had left it unheeded. It had taken his daughter to point him the right direction and after that everything clicked into place quickly.

His breathing was becoming shallow and harder to control.

Anakin could hear screaming in the distance, somewhere behind the clouds of dust and lingering smoke. He hoped Organa had been hit, wouldn't that be ironic? Taken out by your own bomb.

He could feel their panic. They were unharmed and growing closer.

"Father!" he heard Luke first, followed by Leia grabbing his hand.

His children. He forces his tired eyes open to look at them. Their golden eyes stare down at him, full of worry. For a moment they flicker to their original blue and brown and he is relieved. There is still hope for his children to find the Light once more, even if it was too late for him.

Padmé would be disappointed in him. He had not saved her son and daughter from the darkness that had consumed him for so long.

_Never_.

He has not heard Padmé's voice in many years.

"Father," Leia's broken whisper pulls him back. Her head is pressed against his chest, Luke is at his other side and clutching his mechanical hand. He raises his flesh hand to rest against his sons face for a moment, a desperate effort to feel Luke's warmth once more.

His flesh hand drops quickly into Leia's hair and there it grows cold as he takes his final breaths.

"Luke…. Leia…." he gasps, "… so proud… I love…"

He feels himself leaving and he hates that he cannot utter another word to his children. His last thoughts are of blue and brown eyes and he is at peace.

He can die Anakin Skywalker.


End file.
